Bantayan Island

Bantayan Island is a quiet island in the Visayan Sea, Philippines. It sits north of Cebu Island, home of Cebu City, the second largest metropolitan center in the Philippines. Despite proximity to this heavily populated metropolis, Bantayan Island is only accessible by ferry or private small-aircraft flight, leaving it relatively isolated.

The 140,000 people on Bantayan Island are divided into three municipalities. Santa Fe, Bantayan, and Madridejos. Santa Fe is home to the ferry port, and is the island’s tourism center. Bantayan, the largest municipality in both population and area is home to much agriculture and livestock production. Fishing is immensely popular on Bantayan Island and Madridejos, the third municipality at the northern tip of the island has earned the title fishing center of Bantayan Island.

In the latter half of the 16th Century the island was colonized by the Spanish and held until 1898. American forces took control of the Philippines in 1899 and held it until 1946, when the Philippines gained independence. Today, Bantayan Island is a beautiful island marked by white sand beaches, friendly locals, and delicious Filipino and internationally-inspired cuisine.

Typhoon Yolanda caused incredible devastation to the island. The Typhoon was so large that when the eye of the storm passed over Bantayn Island it covered the entirety of the 11,071 hectares (27, 360 acres) for a short time. YPDR was informed upon arrival that the island had not just been severely damaged, but had been 92% destroyed.

We at YPDR have made it our mission to do everything we can do fix this.